TIME Magazine Ranks Indianapolis Among Best Cities to Start a New Career

Indianapolis just got a boost in the national competition to attract the hottest tech talent. TIME Magazine just ranked Indy number eight on its list of Top 10 Best Cities to Start a New Career, based on affordability, career opportunity, and demographics.

This is good news for the IndyX Talent Initiative, which is focused on attracting and retaining the very best skilled technology workers, such as software developers who are in high demand everywhere. According to a technology workforce report from TechPoint, nearly 9,000 computer-related jobs were posted in the Indianapolis-Carmel MSA in 2013, and software developers command a median salary of $77,000.

High-profile rakings like this one, great media coverage of Indiana-based tech companies and the innovators behind them, and continuous communication through a variety of channels; all work together to keep "going back to Indiana" an open option for expatriates, and staying after college a more appealing and viable option for students.

From the TIME Magazine ranking —

New graduates with a choice may want to start their career in one of these fun and affordable cities.

As a new set of college graduates prepares to enter the workforce, one thing on their mind will be finding a place to call home. Boomeranging back to Mom and Dad’s house may work for a while. But your career could take you elsewhere. Besides, it’s a lot more fun on your own.

One strategy is to simply move wherever you find work. With jobs still relatively scarce five years into the recovery, many new grads will go that route, no questions asked. But for those who want to be a little more thoughtful about where they set up their new life, Apartments.com has complied a list of the best cities for new and recent graduates.

The list takes into account affordability; it favors cities where the average rent for a one-bedroom unit is less than 25% of gross median income. Career opportunity is a big consideration; no cities with unemployment above 7% make the cut. The list also takes demographics into account; weight is given to cities with more people aged 25-29. If you are setting up house for the first time, and have choices, this list may be a decent place to start …

TechPoint's IndyX Talent Initiative is divided into two primary drives — IndyXtern focused on retaining top tech students graduating from Indiana's outstanding universities, and IndyXpat focused on convincing expatriates who grew up in Indiana or attended universities to return and be part of the vibrant and growing tech ecosystem.

In addition to spreading the word about new rankings like this TIME Magazine "best of" list, IndyX highlights impressive community statistics like the following:

A dozen tech acquisitions or IPOs in the last 5 years, yielding $4.5 billion in market value. Among them: ExactTarget, Angie’s List and Aprimo.

Those 12 growth companies created 3,500 jobs.

Selected to be host of the 2012 Super Bowl and finalist for the 2018 Super Bowl.

Ranked by Forbes as a top 10 metro in the country for generating technology jobs.

In December, TechPoint hosted the first IndyXpat event — IndyXmas — which sold out and brought expats and out-of-towners from 14 states together with tech employers for a fun night of socializing complete with dueling pianos. Several out-of-state attendees have taken jobs with Indiana tech employers and moved back as a result.